Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka was reportedly dragged off the team’s bus just moments before he was transported to Sydney International Airport to fly home.

He was arrested and charged with the alleged repeated sexual assault of a Sydney woman he met through an online dating app.

Police confirmed the international cricket star, 31, was arrested at a Sussex Street hotel about 1am on Sunday over the alleged incident in Sydney’s east last week.

He was taken to Sydney Police Station and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

Gunathilaka was refused bail and will appear at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Monday. Police say they will again seek to have bail refused.

The Daily Telegraph now reports Gunathilaka was sensationally arrested in front of his team, who have since flown home without the cricketer.

The newspaper reports Gunathilaka spent Sunday night inside a Surry Hills Police Station holding cell.

His lawyer Ananda Amaranath has told the Daily Telegraph the cricketer is “very worried” about being denied any request to leave Australia.

“He was hoping it would get to court today [Sunday], so he’s disappointed that didn’t happen, but he is holding up okay,” Amaranath said.

“He is quite concerned about what will happen if he can’t get back to Sri Lanka … these are serious charges and it could take a year or more for this to be finalised, so he is very worried about that too.”

Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad and Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced a joint investigation following reports a 29-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted at a home in Rose Bay.

Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad said the pair had allegedly matched on the dating app Tinder.

She told reporters on Sunday they communicated on various platforms, including video calling, before meeting up on Wednesday.

Gunathilaka is alleged to have met the woman for prearranged drinks and returned to her home, where the sexual assaults allegedly occurred.

“This woman took a lot of steps to ensure she was safe,” Doherty said.

 “She met up in a public place, with other people around that were aware that she was there to meet someone for a date.

“It’s just unfortunate.”

A crime scene examination was undertaken at the address on Saturday.

It is understood the rest of the Sri Lankan team has already flown home without Gunathilaka.

“The male is being supported by the Sri Lankan consulate,” Doherty said.